Dragon Navigator: The Beginning
by Brownriderco
Summary: Backstory to The Law Of The Weyr explaining how dragons came to be navigators directing spacecraft 'between'. Set in the Reunion AU.


_A/N: Hello all. This is the backstory I promised in The Law Of The Weyr. There are more comments at the end as I don't want to give anything away. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And reviews are good._

_Disclaimer: The Dragonriders of Pern is copyrighted and the intellectual property of Anne McCaffrey and her son Todd McCaffrey. This is fan fiction which garners the author_ **NO MONEY OR MATERIAL COMPENSATION WHATSOEVER_._**_ The Confederation of Sentient States and all Non-Canon characters are mine. Please ask before using them._

_Neurode n._

_A nano-circuit that detects neural energy._

_NiNi n._

_See Non-Invasive Neural-Interface_

_Non-Invasive Neural-Interface n._

_A helmet or similar device with a network of neurodes on the inside surface. This allows the wearer to both access data from and give instructions to a computing device without utilizing the standard manual interface._

_--The Oxford Standard Dictionary published 4523 A.C.E. All rights reserved._

Ernesto Sanchez, an astrophysicist, walked into the office of the Director of Astrophysics at Philadelphia University.

Bradley Simon, the director was waiting for him. "Ernie. Did you enjoy your vacation?"

"Very much so, Brad," Ernesto replied. "I made it a working vacation. Got something to show you."

"You work too much, Ernie. This vacation was supposed to give you a break."

"I know, but I just couldn't help myself. Here. Look at this and tell me what you think."

Simon took the proffered tablet and examined the contents. His eyes widened. He looked directly at Sanchez. "You did get permission to do these scans, I hope."

"Of course, Brad. They gave me permission directly. They actually spoke to me."

"That's quite an honor. From what I heard on the screen, they usually only speak to their riders. Ok, then, let's see here." He read through the rest of the content and was impressed. "You know, this might actually work. We'll have to get funding to build a test vehicle, but I think it can be done."

"With the potential rewards this can reap, and with you endorsing it, funding should be no problem." Sanchez was confident that the funding would be forthcoming.

Simon was nodding. "Alright. Give me some time to make some calls and do some politicking. I suggest you refine this as much as you can." He docked the tablet with his terminal and downloaded the contents. He then handed it back to Sanchez. "Go 'way and let me get this started.

* * *

Eight months later

The test vehicle looked like an over sized shuttle. It was equipped with artificial intelligence and the new drive. Simon had insisted on calling it the Sanchez N-space engine.

The artificial intelligence was programmed to make a jump to Mars, do diagnostics and return.

Simon entered a code on his hand unit and the test vehicle lifted off. It rose to twenty meters and then disappeared.

Five minutes later it hadn't reappeared. Simon tapped out a sequence on his hand unit and spoke. "Contact Mars High. Ask them if it appeared."

"At once, Director," came the reply.

After a short time, his hand unit beeped. "Yes?"

"Mars High reports the test vehicle didn't appear. They thought that we had postponed or canceled.'

"Thank you." Simon hit the disconnect button. "That's a shame, Ernie. Two million government credits down the tubes and we can't even tell them what happened. I called in favors for this."

"I just don't understand it." Sanchez lamented. "I checked and rechecked the equations. This should have worked."

"A bumble bee shouldn't be able to fly, but it does."

"Holy smoke!" Sanchez exclaimed. "I just had an idea!"

"What?"

"Could we send a dragon into N-space to see if it can find and retrieve the vehicle?"

"I don't know, Ernie," Simon said slowly. "These are people, you know. The government is not going to want to risk a dragon and his rider."

"But dragons routinely use N-space to travel long distances in a short amount of time. If the dragon couldn't find it, well, that would be a shame, but we would be no worse off than we are now. And at least we could say we tried. That's going to count for something with the Accounting Office."

"There's a blue and a green here in Philly. We could ask them. But we don't cajole. If the dragon's answer is 'no', then it's 'no'," Simon told him.

Simon went into his office and called his contact in the government and had him grease the wheels so Security would let them through when they arrived.

They took an auto-taxi to the place where the dragons stayed.

They arrived as the green was coming back from stretching her wings. They were met by Confederation Security. "Please state your business," the officer requested.

"I'm Bradley Simon, The Director of Astrophysics at Philadelphia University," Simon told him as he proffered his ID. "This is my colleague, Ernesto Sanchez. We are here to speak to the dragons and their riders."

"I was contacted about you. Good thing you arranged it. Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten through. These are not curiosities to gawk at. We do give tours once a week but this is not the day."

They were led to an outdoor enclosed area where two dragons lounged. Their riders were tending them.

Simon shook his head. He hadn't realized they were this big. The confederation officer walked over to one of the riders and spoke with him. The man looked up and smiled.

Both riders walked over where Simon and Sanchez waited. The taller, a good looking man with blond hair said, "I am J'rol, rider of blue Silith. This is T'nas, rider of green Gonath."

T'nas, a shorter man with red hair smiled and held out his hand to shake.

"I'm Bradley Simon, Director of Astrophysics at Philadelphia University," Simon told them, taking T'nas's hand. "This is my colleague, Ernesto Sanchez."

"How may we help the Director? You are like a master harper, no?" This from T'nas.

Ernesto began speaking. "In a way. I was on vacation in San Francisco. That's what we call a holiday. I took some scans of the brains of the dragons that were stationed there, with their permission, of course.. I have found a way to have a ship go _between._ We actually got a vehicle _between_ but it never emerged."

"That's a shame," J'rol said. "This vehicle must have been expensive."

"Very," Simon informed him. "We were wondering if one of your dragons could find this vehicle for us."

J'rol's eyes unfocused. After a moment, he seemed to come back to himself. "Silith says we can go _between_ and look for it, but what is he supposed to do if he finds it. We assume it is at least as big as a shuttle. There is no way he can carry that much weight."

"He can just let it go as soon as he is back," Ernesto replied. "The on-board computer will take care of it from there."

J'rol looked at his dragon. "You're sure you want to try this?" He nodded his head. "Alright. He wants to try it."

"Just don't risk him or yourself," Simon told him. "It would be nice to have the test vehicle back but it's not worth losing two people."

J'rol nodded and leaped to his dragon's neck. He secured his straps to the harness and Silith crouched and then sprang. Soon he was at the proper height and promptly disappeared.

Bradley counted silently to himself. _One. Two. Three. _At nine he began to get a sick feeling. At ten his hand unit began beeping and vibrating. He yanked it out of his pocket and stared at it with relief. The artificial intelligence aboard the test vehicle was asking for instructions. He tapped out, 'Return to launch point' and hit send.

As he put it back in his pocket, Silith was coming in for a landing.

"That was interesting," J'rol told him. "He had to search a bit but he found it. When we returned, the thing seemed to drop for an instant and then hovered."

"That was the on-board computer," Simon told him. "We thank you for this. If there is anything you need, call the number on this chip." Simon handed him a miniature data chip.

"I think I know what the problem was with your experiment," T'nas told him. "Or Gonath thinks she knows."

"Well, the dragons have a lot more experience _between_ than we do," said Sanchez. "What does she think the problem was?"

"Is the computer on-board the test vehicle alive?"

"What? No, of course not," Simon said.

"She seems to think that since the computer isn't alive, it can't find it's way out of _between._"

"We thank you for that insight, but we need to examine the computer records. It could be she's right, but we can't know until we have looked at and studied the logs. Again, we are much in your debt."

Both riders waved that off and bid the two visitors farewell.

* * *

Three days later Sanchez walked into Simon's office.

"Find anything, Ernie?"

Sanchez shook his head. "I don't understand this. It goes against all logic. I queried the AI. It reported it activated the N-space engine and went through all the routines but was unable to exit N-space. It even deactivated the drive, to no avail. I've run diagnostics and checked and rechecked the equations. I'm beginning to think that green dragon was correct. Maybe it does need a living being to direct it out of N-space."

"It would have to be a dragon," said Simon. "Humans can't use N-space like they do. That begs the next question. How would a dragon regulate the passage through N-space?"

"Using a NiNi," Sanchez replied.

Simon was staring at Sanchez. Actually he was staring through him, deep in thought. "I don't know, Ernie. What if the dragon can't regulate the passage? And how would it regulate the passage in the first place?"

"First, we redesign the test vehicle so a dragon with his rider mounted can fit in comfortably. If the dragon can't get the vehicle out of N-space, the rider disconnects the interface and the dragon teleports normally.

"As for how a dragon would regulate it, how do you regulate your heart or digestion? You can't tell me because you don't know. You can give me scientific explanations, but you don't really _know_. You just do it. It's automatic. A dragon will most likely tell you the same thing if you ask him or her how they go _between_. They don't know, they just do it."

"This is getting very expensive. I think I can shake loose the remaining funds needed, but I don't have many more markers to call in."

"You would think that if we are successful, you would get those markers back," Sanchez observed.

"Doesn't work that way, Ernie." Simon sat thinking then sighed. "All right, in for a penny, in for a pound. Let's do this."

* * *

"You want to _what?_" Senator Nabridge looked at Simon through the screen. "We've already given you two million. Now you want to throw good credits after bad?"

"I really think this will work, Paul. If it does we have almost instantaneous transportation."

"But not for Navy vessels," Nabridge replied. "I don't see the leadership of Pern condoning or approving dragons as navigators on fighting vessels."

"I don't see why not. They fought Thread for more than two thousand years. And the Navy is engaged in peaceful exploration.

"Thread is a mindless organism. And what allegiance is a dragon and his rider going to have to the captain of a ship of the line?" Nabridge wanted to know. "And yes we are at peace but we are always ready to defend ourselves. That means that any ship must be prepared to go into combat at anytime."

"I really think this can be done, and if it can be the politics of it is your department. I just get the thing done. How the thing is used is up to wiser heads than me."

Nabridge stared at Simon for a moment and then made a decision. "Would five million more credits be enough?"

"That should be more than enough," Simon replied.

"Alright," Nabridge said. "I'll authorize a maximum of five million more to be disbursed to your department, on an as needed basis. But it has to be accounted for. And after this, we're even Brad."

"Understand, Paul. I wouldn't do this except I feel so strongly about this project. It can help a lot of people and even help out Pern. Tourists could go there without having to spend five months cooped up in a liner."

"Oh, and one more thing. The dragon selected for this experiment must volunteer. There can be no coercion. None at all."

"Of course not, Paul," Simon responded. "We will ask. We have a blue and a green here in Philly. The blue helped us out. I think it's only fair to give the green a chance to do her part. If she thinks it can be done."

"I'll get you access to the dragon complex as well. If we're going to do this, we might as well do it right."

* * *

The next day Simon went out to the dragon complex, as it was called. After being cleared by security, he went over to talk to the riders.

"Director." J'rol recognized him at once. "How may we help you today?"

Simon looked directly at T'nas. "We've taken the suggestion of your dragon into account. We think she might be correct that only a living being can find its way out of _between. _We wanted to give her the opportunity to see if she could regulate the passage of a craft _between. _If she thinks that is possible and is willing."

T'nas looked thoughtful. "From what I understand, to do this will require her to be able to talk to the computer on the craft. A computer is not alive so how could she talk to it? There are some humans that can't hear her even though they are alive."

"We have a device," Simon said, "that we call a NiNi. That stands for Non-Invasive Neural-Interface. It allows people to directly access a computer just by thinking. We could use that. It is a helmet of sorts with receptors on the inside. We can modify one so it will fit on her head."

T'nas's eyes were unfocused. Then, "She's intrigued. She was kind of grumpy that Silith got to have all the fun."

Simon smiled at that. These were engaging creatures, these dragons. "The point here," he told them, "is that we will redesign our test vehicle so you can be mounted while you are aboard. If for whatever reason, Gonath is not able to regulate the passage and get the craft out of _between, _you just remove the interface and she goes _between_ normally to get back here."

"But wouldn't that result in the loss of your test vehicle?" J'rol wanted to know.

"Yes. We'll give T'nas a device to carry that will be constantly receiving and storing information from the computer so we have a record. But I'd rather lose the vehicle than a dragon and rider. That vehicle can be replaced. You and your dragon cannot."

"So what do we need to do?"

"Right now the only thing we need to do is measure her from the top of her head to her feet when she is standing so we can know how much clearance she needs inside the craft. I have a measuring tool with me." Simon took out small a rectangular box with a readout on one of it's large surfaces. "If you could hover at her head height, you point it down like so." He demonstrated. "And then press this green button. The unit will measure the distance to the ground." He then handed the device to J'rol.

J'rol nodded and with the device in his hand, mounted his dragon. When the operation was done. He landed and handed the device back to Simon.

"Thank you," said Simon. "We'll be in touch when we are ready. Should be about a month."

"We'll be ready when you are," T'nas told him.

* * *

Six weeks later

They had flown the test vehicle to the dragon complex. Gonath had entered from the rear with T'nas mounted.

Before he mounted, Simon had handed him a box attached to a belt. "This will continually receive information from the computer so if the vehicle has to be abandoned we'll have data up to the time she goes _between_."

T'nas nodded and strapped the belt around his waist. He then mounted his dragon. They entered the vehicle from a large door in the rear of the craft. Simon entered through a human sized side door.

He removed a pad with a cable attached from his satchel and plugged the cable into a port in the vehicle. He handed the pad to T'nas.

"You place this over her head. It has a nonstick adhesive so it will stay in place."

T'nas nodded and fit the device over Gonath's head. "She says she feels nothing different. Are you sure this thing will work with the dragon brain?"

"I haven't activated the port yet," Simon told him. He reached over and laid his hand on a switch. "I'm going to activate it now. If there is any discomfort, disorientation, or distress, tell me and I will deactivate it."

T'nas nodded and Simon flipped the switch.

Gonath's eyes began to whirl yellow and she gave a brassy bugle. Simon looked questioningly at T'nas. T'nas shook his head and his eyes unfocused. Soon Gonath's eyes returned to their normal blue green state of calm.

"That was interesting," T'nas said. "It was a bit overwhelming for her at first, but she seems to have gotten her orientation. She says the computer seems to have a personality."

"It's an artificial intelligence unit. It's programmed with some personality, but that's mainly for ease when querying it."

All of a sudden, they were plunged into blackness except where light entered from the side door. "What the..." Simon began just as the lights came back on.

"Gonath apologizes. She was testing her control over the computer and that seemed like the least harmful thing she could do."

"I'm just glad she didn't mess with the environmental controls," said Simon.

"Those routines are well marked and she steered well clear of them."

"Well, if there needs to be some adjustment there," Simon advised, "she should tell the AI what she wants and let the AI adjust it."

"Gonath thinks that's best, as well. Quite frankly she's afaid to touch those controls. She has accessed the star maps and has a picture of what the Rukbat system should look like right now."

"We'd like you to first go to Mars. There is a picture of that in there. We want to do a short hop first. If that works, you can go to Rukbat. I understand you would want to report this development to your leader."

"Sounds good. Ah. She has the Mars destination picture. I think we are ready."

"Good," said Simon. "Just don't risk yourselves. If she can't get the vehicle out of _between_, then forget the vehicle. Remove the interface and have her go _between_ to get back here."

T'nas nodded. Simon exited the vehicle and the door closed. The vehicle began rising. At twenty meters Gonath told the AI to activate the engine, and the craft slipped _between_.

Simon watched the vehicle disappear and the waiting began.

Very shortly, Simon's hand unit began beeping, signaling an incoming transmission. He pulled it out of his pocket and activated it. "Yes?"

"Sir, Mars High reports the vehicle has appeared. It appears undamaged. The AI reports it is doing diagnostics which should be completed momentarily."

Simon nodded. "Thank you. Send this to the vehicle. 'You are clear to proceed at your own discretion.'."

"Message sent, sir," came the reply.

"Thank you. The vehicle should be departing very shortly."

"Yes sir. Vehicle entered N-space just now."

"Simon out."

* * *

F'lar was talking to Ambassador Evans when Mnementh told him a vehicle was entering the bowl. What was even more startling was his assertion that green Gonath and her rider were aboard and her rider needed to see F'lar as soon as they landed.

F'lar looked at the ambassador. "Is there something you aren't telling me, Ambassador?"

"Not that I can think of. Why?"

"Come on, let's go." They walked out into the bowl where a boxy craft was landing.

"What is that?" Susan asked. "It looks like a shuttle, but it's way too big."

"Mnementh says one of the dragons assigned to communications duty, green Gonath, is aboard with her rider. He says her rider needs to speak to me."

"I have no idea what's going on, Weyrleader," Evans told him. "If this is something the CSS has done they haven't told me."

The craft had landed and a large door in the back opened. A green dragon with her rider mounted backed out. The rider dismounted and approached F'lar and the ambassador.

"T'nas," F'lar greeted. "What's going on?"

T'nas told him about the experiment and how it seemed that only a dragon could direct a craft out of _between_.

Evans was staring, open mouthed.

"She was actually able to direct the craft _between?_" F'lar asked. "Why wasn't I informed of this before you did it?"

"Well, there was really no danger, Weyrleader," T'nas replied. "If she couldn't get the vehicle out of _between, _then I was to remove the interface and have her go _between _back to Earth, abandoning the vehicle. Fortunately, that wasn't required. I'm sure they want their vehicle back, but I felt obligated to inform you of this development."

"Do you know who the project director was?" Ambassador Evans asked.

"The man who came to see us said his name was Bradley Simon," T'nas told her.

Evans was nodding. "This I can believe. Bradley Simon is one of the foremost authorities on astrophysics and has a few friends in the Senate. I imagine he had to call in a few favors to get this done."

"I wouldn't know about that, Ma'am." replied T'nas.

"Have a cup of Klah," F'lar offered. "Is Gonath hungry? I know she's been eating Earth beasts and drinking a supplement. I'm sure she would like a Pernese meal."

"Thank you, sir," T'nas told him. He directed her to the feeding grounds.

"I think you should stay the night. Give her a chance to digest. I'll have Mnementh tell your weyrmate's dragon what is going on and he can relay it to this Simon person."

"Thanks again, sir."

* * *

As expected, Gonath couldn't explain how she regulated the passage _between_. She was able to instruct other dragons on how to do it, but it seemed there were no words a human could understand. Even her rider wasn't sure how his dragon had done it.

In the final analysis, it didn't matter. After extensive testing, the CSS released the information to the interplanetary travel lines. Within four months of the announcement, there were eight liners equipped with the Sanchez N-space engine. All but one of these were day cruisers; that is, there were no passenger quarters. Simply lounges, sitting areas, restaurants and the like. The _Pacifica_ which conveyed Patricia Cartwright and her daughter to Pern was one of the day cruisers.

* * *

_A/N: Well, that's it. And I know there wasn't a lot of tension. This is just the way it came out of my head. I know there is not a lot of character physical descriptions. That's just my writing style, which I got from reading Anne McCaffrey. And yes I left out quite a few technical details. I am not an astrophysicist or a quantum physicist. This story is about how dragons came to be navigators, not a lot of technobabble. And for all of you who think this was rushed, I'm here to tell you that it was not. Reviews are appreciated. Till next time, Brownriderco out._


End file.
